Halfway to Heaven
by Rose-Wisteria
Summary: Sheena Fujibayashi was a foolish young girl in love. Foolish enough to fall for the most famous person in the world. She sure knew how to pick her odds in this game of fate. Sheena-centric, Sheelos, One-shot, Fluff!


**Note to Readers: **A couple of people I know from the Sheelos community asked me to come back to write Sheelos again. I was a bit skeptical at first but then, I thought about it and recalled that I never actually wrote a really fluffy, innocent Sheelos before. It might be quite a nice challenge for me. I am willing to give it a shot despite not having written Sheelos for almost two years. Thanks to the release of the sequel to Tales of Symphonia, I have enough inspiration to return to my fan fiction writing days somewhat. Onward!

**Summary: **Sheena Fujibayashi was a foolish young girl in love. Foolish enough to fall for the most famous person in the world. She sure knew how to pick her odds in this game of fate. (Sheena-centric, Sheelos, One-shot, Fluff?)

**Dedication:** The Sheelos Sisters: Lil-Samuu (older sister!), Strawberry Eggs (please come back sister Strawberry!), Artic Husky (twins forever!), and Lilikoifish (the baby of the family haha!)

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_**Love at first sight? I absolutely believe in it! You've got to keep the faith. Who doesn't like the idea that you could see someone tomorrow and she could be the love of your life? It's very romantic.**_

_**-Leonardo DiCaprio**_

_**Halfway to Heaven**_

_**By Rose-Wisteria**_

The red thread of destiny. The red string of fate. The invisible red string that can be twisted and tangled but never cut. The thread that is symbolic of a match made by a God matchmaker.

In Mizuho, all of the inhabitants are aware of this myth. According to this old myth, the Gods tie an invisible red string around both a male and a female's ankles without their knowledge the minute they are born. These two people may travel all around the world but thanks to this string that they both share they will eventually meet one day and marry each other. This is the story of perfect soul mates.

I grew up believing in this story. When I was six I would bend over and touch my ankles, hoping to miraculously feel the thread that was supposed to be there. I was disappointed again and again. As I grew older, I realized that the whole myth was stupid.

If everyone had a thread around their ankles, we would all trip over each other's threads. If the threads were invisible _and_ intangible, how would we know for sure the other person was the destined one?

In the end, I dismissed this story as an urban legend. At least, I thought so until...

One morning, the red sting around my waist got caught onto the buttons of his vest. My eyes met his. His sky blue eyes met mine. And I swore our first meeting took my breath away. At the time, I couldn't tell if the cause was his feminine face that shone underneath the bright sunlight or the tightened red string around my waist. Nevertheless, our first encounter on top of the Grand Tethe'alla Bridge was_ interesting_. I did not expect the red string of fate to physically pay me such an unexpected visit.

Every morning that summer I crossed the Grand Tethe'alla Bridge, sometimes alone, sometimes with Orochi, to travel from Mizuho to Meltokio. The ocean view was perfect. I looked forward to this walk every day, but not because of the Elemental Research Laboratory or the deep blue ocean below me.

"And you, my hunny, will make sure to take my place in roll-call today."

I did not know his name at the time. The redhead would always pass by me along with his group of high class, female friends right at the midpoint of the bridge. One thing was certain, he_ never_ traveled alone.

Because of the large amount of workers and pedestrians traveling across the bridge every day, it was rare for me to even see him in person as we passed by each other. But no matter how noisy the crowd around me seemed to be, I would always recognize his voice. _Always_.

Then, right after our indirect meeting, I would turn around and catch a glimpse of him with his long, luxurious red hair trailing down his back. I would stare long after he had disappeared amidst the blend of colors. Sometimes, I wished he would turn around and gaze back at me with a smile.

But a wish would always be a wish.

Eventually, I picked up the courage to ask people from my research laboratory for the identity of the male with long, red hair and blue eyes. I even went so far as to describe his entire white, black, and pink outfit just in case there were a lot of people with long red hair and bright blue eyes living in Meltokio. It turned out that my extra description was completely unnecessary though.

"The Chosen right?"

"The Chosen of Mana?" I clarified.

"That's him. He's attending school in Sybak and he's at the top of his class too."

This made perfect sense. Sybak was on the same side of the bridge as Mizuho. Sybak was well-known for its prestigious school that only rich students could afford to go to. Since I headed to Meltokio every morning and he to Sybak, we would meet five days a week at that midway point, walking in opposite directions.

"What's his name though?" I asked, blushing from embarrassment at my direct question.

"_Zelos_. Zelos Wilder."

Although it had been a week since I had learned of his identity, I didn't attempt to start a conversation with him. There was a specific teaching in Mizuho culture that love must be conducted in secret at all times. For Mizuho women, it was not right to confess their feelings to a man. We were to remain as coy as possible.

Even though in the colorful city of Meltokio I watched couples hold hands and kiss, these acts were completely forbidden in public in Mizuho. No couple should show affectionate gestures in front of others. This was strictly for the home and the home only. I knew this all too well.

Because of this, it was hard for me to understand why the women around Zelos fawned on him so much. A bit too much at times.

"Master Zelos! You look absolutely dazzling this morning!"

"Did you do something to your hair Master Zelos? It's softer than usual! I am _so_ envious!"

"I heard you were reading to sick children in the hospital yesterday Master Zelos! How sweet of you!"

Today, as he and his groupies passed by, I could not help but wonder if he was used to the attention he received from those around him. After all, he was the most famous person alive. He was _the_ Chosen. I would not put it past him to know the name of everyone in the capital city of Meltokio by first _and _last names. He was a man of power and respect after all. Who_ wouldn't_ want to be his friend?

But as I moved my head around to admire his back as usual, I could not help but feel a pang of sadness on his behalf. Sometimes, a person's true feelings were hidden right behind their back. Zelos's were especially so.

Little did he know, I stayed up that night wondering why.

Those summer days were endless. I continued my routine every working day as if out of habit. In the morning, I left Mizuho for the capital. I crossed the Grand Tethe'alla Bridge to arrive and work in the Elemental Research Laboratory. Then, in the evening, I would cross that same bridge to go back home. The contrast in between the two journeys was that one person I would meet along the way. And yet, it made all the difference in the world.

I felt like a foolish young girl in love. Foolish enough to fall for the most famous person in the world. I sure knew how to pick my odds. A gamble that I could never win.

If that were so, why did I keep playing?

When I passed by him on one certain cloudless, summer day, I noticed that his hair was slightly shorter than usual while I was still a short distance away. Had he cut his hair? I must have been wrong because none of the girls around him seemed to take notice of it. As they chatted on about tea parties and balls, I nervously held my breath while I passed by them. I dared to glance in Zelos's direction once, only to meet his blue orbs staring right back at me. I nearly lost my footing.

"Hey there, my hunny!" Zelos waved, moving his eyes slightly to the right.

I heard a loud shriek of happiness from right behind me. A beautiful girl in a long, puffy pink gown with white frills and curly, golden locks of hair made her way over to Zelos, who smiled down at her. I watched enviously as she flirted with him while he laughed and continued on his way. She had her hand on his arm suggestively. Unable to cope with the sight, I went on my way as quickly as possible.

Despite hating both him and her for the rest of the day, I couldn't help but stop in front of a window selling a lovely, light pink gown that was worthy of royalty. The latest Meltokio fashion trends never really caught my attention before. Still, I did not know how long I stood there, thoughts running through my mind about how this was out of my budget and desperately out of my character. For a few seconds, I even played with the idea of me being in it.

"The sun always outshines the moon," I said softly to myself, heading home. "No matter how beautiful."

That night, I settled for my pale pink night gown instead.

The following morning I left at a later time than usual. I avoided Orochi's questions as much as possible while I checked up on my Grandfather. How could I possibly admit to Orochi, who was like a brother to me, that I had stayed up all night replaying that scenario between Zelos and the blonde in my mind, and contemplating what I could have done differently to gain his attention. Expressions of love were frowned upon after all.

To make up for the lost time, I ran across the Grand Tethe'alla Bridge. I was so late that I did not have enough time to put my hair up. The wind felt stronger than usual, blowing my hair backwards. Even though there were a lot of people, I managed to make my way through the crowd without bumping into anyone. Far ahead, I noticed that the Chosen was on his way to school as usual with his female classmates. Today I absolutely had no time to dally on him.

Much to my surprise, the minute I cut across the crowd which included Zelos, I felt as if time stopped for both of us. My knee was probably up in the air at the time as I dashed my way across the bridge. It did not matter because all I heard was...

"No time to fix your hair sweetie?"

I froze. Like an instinct, I automatically shifted my attention to the side and directly at him. Surely, he was talking to one of his hunnies. That was the most logical explanation in this scenario. Even though I wasn't the fastest ninja, I had been praised for my speed before. At the pace I was going, he could not possibly see that my hair was different than usual unless he was a fighter himself.

"Did you say something, Master Zelos?" asked a girl with long, silky blue hair next to him.

"Oh nothing, my delectable beauty," Zelos said, reverting his eyes back to his companion. "I was just-"

"What about you?" I asked with all the pitiful strength I could manage to conjure up. Zelos seemed to have heard it by the way he stopped mid-sentence. "You cut your hair... didn't you?"

When I asked my question, my voice was so weak that it was understandable that he didn't hear it. There was a lot of loud chattering around him to be fair. He definitely did not hear it since he and his admirers went on their merry way like always. This was what I thought at first. However, when I tossed him one last, questioning look over my shoulder, I thought Zelos Wilder smiled back. A playful smile just for me.

And just for that, I did not mind being late for work that day.

For a couple of days, my mind was in a daze like that of a feverish child. I checked my forehead many times to see if I did have a real fever but nothing of the sort occurred. Before I had thought that I spent too much time consumed with the thoughts of my first love and had to slap myself back to reality. I was wrong. Now, everything seemed to remind me of him. The clear, blue sky. The red cherries that rested on my half-eaten plate. The pink ribbons scattered across the table of my room.

More than ever, my fantasies seemed to become more vivid. Before I went to sleep I would imagine a scenario in which I actually had a real conversation with him. What would we talk about? Our cultures? Our families? Did he have any siblings at all? I was perfectly fine with my imagination for a day or two but soon, I felt starved. _Hungry_. I wanted to know what a conversation with the most famous person in the world would be like. I wanted to run up to him and speak to him directly. I wanted to.

Sadly, days passed and nothing had changed between us since the "hair incident". I became quite bitter at my unrequited feelings. Worst of all, I knew somewhere deep within my heart that a famous person like the Chosen would never pay attention to someone like me- an unwanted orphan, a tomboyish girl, an unfashionable person, and a cowardly citizen of Mizuho.

I just refused to accept it. Pride? Stubbornness? Denial? Or was I so consumed with wishful thinking that I believed that miracles could happen?

"Grandfather," I thought about the elderly Chief in a coma. "Do miracles happen?"

The difference between fantasy and reality had taken a strange turn on me during this time of year. Autumn was right around the corner. Most of the crops in Mizuho were harvested in the fall so I spent fewer hours in Meltokio and more hours at home, helping the other citizens with their work. In other words, I strolled back along that bridge a lot sooner than I had before.

Now, I met him on the way _back_ too. I still avoided him as much as possible. We had not talked at all or even caught each other's eyes for quite some time. It had occurred quite recently to me that the hair incident was a special memory to me since it was the first time I had actually spoken to him in person, but to him it wasn't the same. The incident was nothing more than a fleeting moment with a complete stranger. His daily life was probably grander than those few minutes with me. This was why everything stayed the same between us. Reality was cruel at times.

Even knowing this and accepting this as fact, I looked forward to hearing his voice twice a day. I was the biggest idiot in the world and yet, if I was given a chance to change this, I would refuse without hesitation.

During this time of the year, the bridge became a large marketplace. People from all over the continent traveled on this very bridge and a lot of them were hungry. As a part of their jobs, sellers would should out sales patter, announcing what they had to sell to everyone around them. I was thinking of cooking miso stew while on my way back to Mizuho that particular day.

"Sir, thanks for gathering all the necessary ingredients for me."

A middle-aged man smiled at me. "You're welcome, pretty lady. Oh, Chosen!"

I looked up at the sound of the familiar title and I gawked when I found that the red-haired male was standing right next to me. He was alone for once. I glanced behind him to find his devoted followers few in number. They were too busy admiring jewelry and hair accessories to notice his disappearance. This was my chance to speak to him in person. How could I possibly let this opportunity go by?

"Afternoon," Zelos greeted the man. Miraculously, he turned his head in my direction. A goofy grin was plastered on his face. "And good afternoon to you, _pretty lady._"

After a few minutes, he left the area and continued his journey home without anything in hand. I left the same area in the other direction without anything in words.

From this point forward my following encounters with him became almost like a trip of self-discovery. Without the self part. Even though little had changed since that unforgettable day, I gazed at him with a fresh pair of eyes. Once upon a time, I saw sadness sitting on his back. His emotions of loneliness. His hidden feelings about the world around him.

Lately, I saw... _seafood_. Zelos was definitely a seafood lover. He had to be. I was almost sure of it.

I did not know where this confidence in such an assumption came from. It wasn't as if we talked about our taste in various foods to one another. We had never even talked properly at all. It wasn't as if I had caught him specifically buying seafood before. More than that, nothing about him even resembled a crab or a shrimp. Red lobsters came to mind but no, it wasn't that either. Strangely, I just _knew_.

The head cook in the main kitchen in Mizuho was a kind lady indeed. She taught me how to cook a lot of recipes with seafood. That was probably when I had started to enjoy cooking. No, not probably. _Most likely_. I was sure of it, almost as much as the bowl of hot seafood stew in my cold hands.

Then that one morning came. A morning I would never forget during that period in my life. Nothing terribly important happened. But something _did _happen and it was far more dramatic for me than for anyone else.

Zelos Wilder did not travel across that bridge, either in the morning or the afternoon.

Strangely, the impact it had on me was more than I could ever have imagined. Like a habit, I was so used to catching at least a glimpse of him on that bridge that it was almost devastating to not see him at all.

Sure, there were plenty of reasons why he may not have been on that bridge that day. He could have dropped out of school, though I doubted that. He could have gone to school earlier and returned home later than usual. That was a possibility too. Despite the lack of evidence, I refused to believe that the explanation behind his absence was_ that_ simple. Maybe it was because I was so set on him that I was blinded from the truth. But I truly believed that my instincts were better than that. There was something terribly wrong about this. To me, this was like Princess Hilda throwing a birthday party for herself and not attending it. That was how much his absence meant to me.

"What are you searching for, Sheena?" Orochi calmly asked me the day after.

"Nothing," I yelped, blushing bright red.

"I noticed that, for the past few months, you've been watching them."

"Who?"

"The noble ladies of the King's court," said Orochi, gazing intently at me. I almost released a sigh of relief. "I've noticed that they always like to accompany the Chosen One I see, but they haven't really shown their faces around here for the past day or so."

"I wonder why," I said sadly.

"The reason is obvious is it not? They don't need to travel in groups without the Chosen One around. To them, every other lady in the same group is a rival for the Chosen One's affection. They pretend to get along but they really dislike one another."

"Y-Yes... that makes sense..."

"Though with the Chosen One as sick as he is now, they must be gathering around his mansion with presents, flowers, and other such luxuries."

My eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. "The Chosen One's sick?"

"The Chosen One is human after all. The flu season is upon us and-"

I did not hear the rest of Orochi's explanation because I dashed across the bridge with my hands hugged closely to my chest. Never before had my heart thumped so loudly in my ears as it did now. He was absent yesterday and today because he was sick. Why didn't I hear about this? Why should I always be the last one to know about the latest important news?

Unfortunately, I did not know where he lived so I had to sneak around and follow the large amount of noble ladies heading toward his home. They were visiting him in droves. Soon enough, I stood outside his mansion in the midst of the crowd, staring at the white mansion with too many windows to count. I wanted to know which window belonged to his room so I tried guessing. He was probably one of those people who liked the scenery behind his house- definitely one of the upper windows where the view was perfect. It felt like it was a room he would like.

Because of all the pushing and shoving to visit the Chosen, I was left behind. I didn't go to visit him. I had no courage to. Why was I here then? I didn't know the exact answer to that myself. The minute I heard he was sick I had found my way here without thinking ahead.

I noticed a number of rose bushes around his house. This brought a timid smile to my lips. He seemed like a rose person. Plus, a good indicator of this was the number of roses in bouquets around me.

This was when I figured I could give him a 'get well soon' gift too. I stared at the amount of expensive-looking presents the girls were carrying with them besides the roses. The butler at the front door was trying hard to hold the girls back from rushing in. Realization dawned on me at this point. Nothing I could buy would be worthy enough of the Chosen One. I was almost certain that the King and Princess Hilda would be sending him presents more suitable of his status than I would be able to_**.**_

I gave up. Pushing by way through the crowds, I turned my back on that house and went on my way. Nevertheless, I glanced back one last time as a couple of girls were admitted into the house. I wanted to sit by his side, hold his hands, and tell him to feel better. If only I had status, I would have been admitted into the house by now. If only I had money, I would not have stood here empty-handed. If only he knew me by name and face, I would have been able to be there for him.

If only...

That day, I sat in front of my work place with with my back against the steps. The dark red sun seemed to be setting slower than usual. A part of me didn't want to leave Meltokio because I wanted to stay as close to him as possible. I shook my head at this selfish notion. Orochi had already gone ahead and was waiting for me by the front gates of the capital. I had never been rude to Orochi in my life. I wasn't going to start now. I heaved myself up and picked up my belongings.

Instead of heading in Orochi's direction, I made my way back to the familiar mansion I had visited before. Before I left town, I wanted to at least mentally pray for his recovery. I stood there and kept my eyes on the upper windows, even after the sunlight had moved completely away from his house. Sighing, I thought I had lingered here too long when I noticed a light shining out from inside the mansion. Zelos's butler had opened the door and come out, shaking his head. This was not a good sign at all.

"Is there something wrong?" I asked, worried to death. I moved towards him without thinking.

"Master Zelos refuses to eat my cooking," the elderly butler with a funny mustache said, shaking his head for what felt like the tenth time already. "He can't live off the chocolate you and the others brought him. He needs healthy, easy to swallow sustenance."

To Zelos's butler I probably looked the same as any other woman who had stood on the steps of this house. I was simply another admirer. The Chosen One probably knew hundreds, maybe even thousands of women. I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of women who didn't have a single similarity to me became my twins in his eyes. I was not important enough to be placed on the same pedestal as the long-term members of his groupies or Princess Hilda. There was one word to describe me- a stranger.

Then, I wondered- how many strangers would convince their older brother figure to help them cook seafood stew in under an hour?

I put all my heart and effort into that stew like my life depended on it, like a starved artist would put into his only source of income- his paintings. Wiping my sweat away from my brow and having made sure every step was completed correctly, I transferred the stew into a container I had borrowed from my fellow villagers. When I had to tie the bag around it, I had no choice but to borrow the red string from around my waist.

For once, I had fun as I stood in front of there smiling and holding the bag that contained the stew up to the butler of the Wilder household. I wanted Zelos to accept my gift along with my feelings. If this was the only way my feelings could reach him, I was willing to give it a shot.

But he turned me away.

There was a reason why people didn't like to be too hopeful or too overconfident. Good moods failed because they never lasted long enough. The minute a good mood ended, you were left with nothing. Emptiness. Darkness. Bitterness. All of this was inevitable.

But why was mine so short lived?

Even when Orochi and his brother Kuchinawa knocked on my door that night, I refused to open it. I had left the stew behind on the doorstep of the Chosen's home. There was no point in me bringing it back here when it was meant for him. I cried against my pillow bitterly and helplessly. I always acted strong in front of others and vowed not to shed unnecessary tears. But in privacy of my own bedroom, I was no more than a self-indulged girl.

I hated myself. I hated myself a lot. Though, it was not because I had been chased away by his butler. Rather, it was because of not having the courage to explain myself correctly.

After all, I never put any poison in his food.

Even though I had puffy eyes the following morning, I did not hesitate to leave for work as usual. With good intentions like always Orochi offered to accompany this morning as had had always done but I turned him down without a thought. I was stronger than this, or so I believed.

I spent my time looking around for Zelos in order to completely avoid him. Because of all the crying I had done, I decided it was not worth it anymore. Maybe the bitterness of my confrontation with his butler had hardened my heart completely. I did not want to love anymore.

I wanted to say that. I wanted to think that. I wanted to actually_ feel _that. They were the perfect reasons to continue repeating it mentally no matter how false those words may be.

Yes, I just had to change my heart with my forced words.

Why did I even bother though? Zelos Wilder was nowhere to be found that morning either. If I were to say I wasn't disappointed, I would be lying. Then again, there was a side of me that was relieved.

But for what reason exactly?

At the end of the day, I felt exhausted. With my arms wrapped around my body I headed for the bridge as usual without glancing back at the Elementary Research Laboratory. Today, I had helped to save a new friend named Corrine from terrible experiments. With Corrine by my side I felt less lonely around the crowds of people who knew nothing about me.

I felt that fate tied Corrine to me. To symbolize this I tied a red string around Corrine's neck for his bell. Sadly, it seemed that Zelos' fate was never linked to mine.

I spoke too soon. When I arrived at the bridge, I saw Zelos standing there by himself with a serious expression on his face. Had he left school early? Had he recoveredfrom his sickness completely? Taking a deep breath, I made my way toward him. Even though I had told myself more than twenty times today that I had completely gotten over him, all of those unrequited feelings rushed back when I caught sight of his blue eyes.

A coward like always, I bit my bottom lip and strolled right by him. I couldn't talk to him now after what his butler had accused me of. It was impossible. Too impossible. I should never have started liking him. If I had never liked him, I wouldn't feel this miserable now. If I never felt miserable, then-

Zelos Wilder grabbed the crook of my arm. Horrified, I tossed him a look with the beating of my heart in my ears. There was no mistaking it. He had done it on purpose by the expression on his face.

"Want to get something to eat, _Sheena_?"

I was not a stranger to him? He knew me by face _and_ name.

Then, I snapped out of my daze. His butler had been bold enough to suggest I had poisoned his food last night.

"I might poison it."

Surprise was written all over his face. I dragged my gaze away from his face and onto the ground. Any minute now he would release my arm and allow me to return to my village in peace. There, I would cry to my heart's content until the last of these feelings went away. I was mentally prepared for this.

"Then I guess I'll have you make that seafood stew from last night," said Zelos, giving me his unashamed, dashing grin. I blushed at how closely he observed me with those bright orbs. "It was high-class, full of my favorite seafood, and most importantly, I haven't died from it yet. I mean how can I? Why would anyone want to harm beautiful, young me?"

My cheeks glowed bright red. I raised my fingers to my lips at his words. He ate it and he _liked_ it even though it had had the potential to be poisoned. Moreover, he knew_ I_ had made it.

"Though..." Zelos tapped his finger against his chin. "You could add less lemon next time. Do you have a fetish for lemon, my voluptuous hunny?"

I recognized the double connotation immediately. Zelos was nothing like how I had imagined him to be in my fantasies. This first real conversation between us was also nothing like how I had thought it would turn out. And yet, my feelings did not change one bit.

My shoulders began to shake. "Idiot..."

"Idiot?"

"Idiot Chosen!"

This was the first time I lost my temper and my shy side around him. Thanks to Zelos, I would never retrieve them again. I didn't care though. I found myself jumping into his arms and hugging him close, even if everyone around us was muttering about the Chosen One associating with someone like me. None of that mattered to me. I felt bold. I felt overwhelmed.

Most of all, I felt loved because Zelos hugged me back.

With his red strands of hair tangled around my arms, I truly believed in the red thread of destiny, if only for that short moment in time. However, I no longer accepted the concept that we were both born with a string tied to our ankles, linking our souls together. People formed their own strings of fate, like how Zelos tied the red string back around my waist, until they found one that didn't break.

With the tightened, secured red string around my waist, we went across the bridge to the other side together. We were no longer meeting half-way across. Like a stairway to heaven from earth, I had never passed that half-way mark... until now. Whether it was heaven or earth, I haven't decided yet.

Oh, and that seafood stew I made for him right after? I would have to trust his 'high-class' taste buds for his opinion of my cooking because frankly, I didn't taste a thing. Not one bite.

**Ending Notes: **For those of you who are still my fans after so many years, thank you. For those of you who have only found out about me because of this one-shot, thank you as well. I am pretty well-known for experimenting with endless types of writing styles. I believe this is my simplest one yet (besides Wounds Beyond Healing). In all honesty, simple is best for such a short, innocent one-shot. With complicated vocabulary or sentence structure, it would have been too distracting. I hope everyone agrees with me. Again, _thank you_.

It does not take a lot of time to review so please, do this poor authoress a small favor and leave a note that you've been here to the very end. Hopefully, I will return with more Sheelos, more likely so with kind-hearted encouragement. Minnie loves you all.


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